In 1953, Joan Eslick was 2 years old, and was diagnosed with Polio. That was two years before the vaccine became available, preventing crippling and deterioration of the muscles.

It was too late for her.

The syndrome peaked in North Carolina in 1952. Doctors reported Polio cases in record numbers and experimental drugs and surgeries were tested.

“They didn’t really know what to do with us Polio survivors back then,” Eslick said.

She went through many surgeries, leading to extended stays in the hospital.

“Sometimes I was there for six months at a time,” she remembered.

Learning to walk

Eslick lived in the Dover Mill community and was the only child in the village stricken with the syndrome.

“I loved to watch the other children play and move, because I didn’t have the ability,” she said.

At 9 years old, Eslick graduated from a wheelchair to leg braces. At 19, she was waiting tables at her aunt’s restaurant in North Myrtle Beach.

“The body is a wonderful thing, it will try to compensate for what’s been lost,” she said.

After 30 years, her muscles began to break down, leading to what is known as Postpolio.

“The good muscles are doing double duty, and they begin to wear out,” Eslick said.

She was forced back in to a wheelchair.

Finding Benisa

Her independence was gone and Eslick struggled with small tasks. While searching the internet, she discovered Canine Companions for Independence. It’s an organization committed to breeding and matching service dogs with people afflicted with disabilities.

“I travelled to Florida and applied to the program,” she said.

The organization put Eslick on a wait list and sent her on an extensive training course in California. In August, 2011, Canine Companions matched Eslick with a Lab and Golden Retriever mix named Benisa.

Eslick and Benisa became family.

The trained canine is capable of responding to more than 40 commands. Including opening doors by tugging or pushing, and fetching things the owner needs.

“She pulls off my socks if I need her to.”

The dog has changed her life.

“People stop us on the street, they want to meet Benisa,” Eslick said.

Hero Dog Award

Eslick is passionate about what service dogs offer those who are less independent. She entered Benisa in a national contest for a Hero Dog Award. If the Lab-Retriever mix becomes a finalist, the dog will be recognized at an awards show in Los Angeles, Calif., in October.

“She nudges me into action,” she said. “Because of Benisa, I have applied at law school and will take classes this summer.”